Referees struggling to meet stringent fitness standards

Intercounty referees are struggling to meet the GAA’s fitness standards, with high-profile match officials failing monthly fitness assessments.

Intercounty referees must reach a certain level in a monthly bleep test to remain in consideration for intercounty games, but it has emerged that some referees cannot reach the required level at the monthly tests, held in regional GAA centres, which rules them out of handling games.

Yesterday Sean Walsh, the GAA’s chairman of referee development, defended the Association’s drive to ensure officials are fit to handle games played at an ever-faster pace.